Woe  are  a  band  from  New York  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays a very  dark  form  of  black  metal  on  this  recording  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Hope  Attrition"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Vendetta  Records.

  A  very  dark,  raw  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  while  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  melody  in  the  guitar  leads  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  deep  yet  grim  black  metal  screams  that  also  get  very  high  pitched  at  times  along  with  the  tracks  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  atmospheric  yet  melodic  style  and  influences  of  death  metal  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  brief  acoustic  instrumental  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction while  clean  guitars  are  also  used  briefly  on  a  later  track  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  melodic  vocals.

  On  this  recording  woe  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  dark  and  raw  while  also  being  a  little  bit  more  modern  and  adding  in  death  metal  influences,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  yet  powerful  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics cover  loss,  frustration,  compulsion  and  Existentialism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Woe  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal  that  is  modern  yet  raw  and  aggressive  sounding,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "No  Blood  Has  Honor"  "The  Ones  We  Lost"  and  "Abject  In  Defeat".  8  out  of  10.  

  Wan  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  raw  and  old  school  form of  satanic  black  metal  with  a  touch  of  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Wan  Way  To  Hell"  which  will  be  released  February  10th  by  Carnal  Records.

  A  very  heavy  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  some  of  the  riffing  also  adds  in touches  of  thrash,  first  wave  black  metal  and  punk  along  with  the  vocals  also  mixing  in  some  of  the  old  school  80's  extreme  metal  style  and  blast  beats  are  used  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  second  wave  feeling  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  riffing  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  as  the  album  progresses  death  metal  growls  are  added  into  some  parts  of  the recording  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  clean  guitars  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Wan  remains  true  to  the  raw  and  old  school  style  of  black  metal  of  previous  releases  and  also  avoids  any  modern  sounds,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Swedish  and  English  cover  misanthropic,  Satanism,  Occultism,  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Wan  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  old  school satanic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "King  Of  Evil"  "The  Challenger"  "Spitfire  Metal"  and  "Wan  Way  To  Hell".  8  out  of  10.
       

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?



We are working on the 3d album ! It will be more warlike, brutal and still Black Metal !

Since the recording and release of new album, we have performed in several cities in France.



2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?



The glacial sound, robotic and modern gives a  feeling of speed and discomfort. The objective is to convey this impression of a lost journey, in the depths of the galaxy, the violence of the interstellar void, the anguish that rises, in the face of the distress that one can feel in the middle of nowhere! "Kepler" is much more consistent than "K 141" and forms a whole, where each piece is a new chapter. The theme, less "tote", was much more reflected and worked.

We have composed a more coherent album.

We want the sound of « KEPLER » more modern,  and the concept, more complete than our other releases. This modern sound is mainly due to the elimination of small errors in the technique of recording and mixing that we wanted to correct.





3.The lyrics on your new album cover physical,  science  and  space  themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?



Kepler was a 16th century astronomer who gave his name to the famous telescope. These two figures have inspired us deeply. At first, man, not so much by his labors, but by the force of character which his researches required, at a time when religion was in order and the inquisition, the law! He nevertheless discovered physical and astronomical laws on the movements of the planets, at a century when uttering such things were extremely dangerous and blasphemous. Unfortunately, we are always at the same point: beliefs and superstitions are still brakes to scientific advances, just as ethics! Legal, but also moral, obstacles intrinsically linked to our system of thought. Moreover, we have also started from this space telescope ideas to embark the listener through space, time, the cosmos, the exo planets and the sciences. It is nothing but an initiatory journey, deep in the universe, to the limits of man. Stress, anguish, melancholy and fights for the dictatorial advent of bio progressiveness are at the heart of this album!

K701.04 and Tau Ceti E are exoplanets, that is, planets that lie outside our solar system. K701.04, also called Kepler 62f, was observed by the Kepler telescope in 2013. It is located at "only" 1,200 light-years from Earth and could have a temperature compatible with the presence of water. It could therefore not only accommodate man, but also other forms of life. We have "selected" it among the 3541 exoplanets discovered because its name clearly echoed K141, our first album. Tau Ceti E as for it would be a priori a very hot exoplanet, much more massive than our earth. His name, so atypical, strongly seduced and inspired us. Syn is a type of addition in organic chemistry and a term used to translate the evolutions of biological and trans biological research. Since the writing of our text, humanity is already at Syn 3.0! The other titles are homages or references to science: fractal geometry; The process of scientific discovery, often linked to an anomaly, a problem that engages the researcher on a new path, a new point of view; The spatial discovery and its collateral damage (Laïka, which is also a tribute to the animal cause); Transhumanism and bio-progressivity with Non Morietur (the death of death) and the ethical obstacles that can be experienced by medical and biological advances, which nevertheless tend to take Man to immortality!





4.I know that the bands name means 'Incorruptable' in Sumerian, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?



We try to play a Black Metal without compromise ! And our civilization owes all its great founding myths to Sumerians (and incidentally writing). Knowing where we come from is necessary to know who we are! It is our inheritance, and we remain faithful to our values, to ourselves: "incorruptible".





5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?



Ours shows have evolved over time. With our second album « Kepler »,  we opted for an interstellar, robotic and cold atmosphere. On stage, we try to be alive and « moving »!

We have still played with « Sombre Forêt » (from Quebec), it was a good  memory for us !



6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?



We have some show plans  and some fest in 2017, only in France for the moment, but Aksaya is open to all propositions ! Book-us !



7.Your new album was released through 3 different labels, are you happy with the support they have given you so far?



The release by 3 different labels is good for Aksaya, and they give to us a very good support & promotion !



8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?



We have very good feedback in the world, in Europe, Asia and America !



9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?



We are at work on the 3d album. We will continue to play our warlike and cold black metal, but the concept will be different ! You will see….



10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?



Personally, I listen a lot of French Black Metal, or from South America and Eastern Europe. We have a lot of reference but we are listening a lot of style, and try to have our own style.



11.What are some of your non musical interests?



We have a lot of non musical interest : sports, extreme sports, travels, sciences, physical, geography, history, poltitic, geopolitic….



12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?



Thanks to you. And don’t forget that credulity, superstition, religion and all forms of folklore, occultism, are obstacles to progress and the transhumanist revolution! Fight all the dogmas with the Legions of Aksaya!



 

  Siechtum  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  raw  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  album  "...Durch  Die  Augen  Einer  Gequalten  Seele"  which  was  released  by  Depressive  Illusions  Records.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  field  recordings  before  going  into  a  fast  direction  that  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  as  well  as  giving  the  songs  a  raw  feeling  and  after  awhile  grim  black  metal  screams  and  angry  shouts  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  the  guitar  leads  are  done  in  a  melodic  fashion.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  incorporates  a  lot  of  90's  second  wave  influences  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  briefly  and  some  of  the  guitar  leads  also  add  in  a  more  modern  atmospheric  style  and  some  of  the  vocals  also  have  a  very  mournful  atmosphere  to  them  at  times.

  Siechtum  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  and  heavy  while  also  having  an  atmospheric  touch  at  times  and  being  very  nature  orientated,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover Ecocentrism,  Wilderness,  Anti  Monotheism,  and  Misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Siechtum  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  nature  orientated  black  metal  solos  project  and  if  you  are  a fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eine  Grausame  Geburt"  and  "Durch  Die  Augen  Einer  Gequalten  Seele".  8  out  of  10.  

     

  Vaiya  are  a  solo  project  from  Australia  that  plays  an  ambient  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  album  "Remant  Light"  which  will  be  released  in  April  as  a  joint  effort  between  Nordvis  Produktion  and  Bindrune  Recordings.

  Ambient  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  drones  before  adding  in  a  very  fast  and  raw  sound  that  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  as  well  as  mixing  in  atmospheric  elements  and  the  guitar  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams.

  A  decent  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  some  of  the  vocals  also  mix  in  mournful  cries  and  when  acoustic  guitars  are  utilized  they  give  the  recording  more  of  a  progressive  and  folk  music  feeling  and  semi  melodic  singing  is  also  used  briefly  and  all  3  of  the  tracks  are  very  long and  epic  in  length  and  nature  sounds  are  also  used  on  the  songs.

  Vaiya  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  atmospheric  and  raw  sounding  while  alos  mixing  in  a  decent  amount  of  progressive  and  ambient  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  yet  heavy  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vaiya  are  a  very  great  sounding  ambient  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Banishment".  8  out  of  10.